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Question re:the sound mix in Final Cut

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ghost of 82

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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:32 pm

Question re:the sound mix in Final Cut

Guys, just a question for you lucky fans who have seen the Final cut- what is the sound mix like? I've read that the mix has been changed with extra radio chatter during the spinnerflights, and I'm just concerned that the Vangelis score may have been dialed down in the mix, which I would really hate. Back in 1982 the Vangelis music was often criticised for being too loud but I always loved it the way it was. I'd hate to see it changed the way some of the John Williams score was treated in the STAR WARS special edition DVD - particularly during the attack on the Death Star the music was ruined.
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:43 pm

I did not find this to be the case. Actually a lot more of the detail in the soundtrack is audible in the new mix, including Vangelis' score. For one thing, my hubby (musician and music critic) used to hate Vangelis' compositions for the movie. After hearing them in the new mix, he had a lot more respect for what he did. This was particularly true after we saw it in Santa Barbara, because the audio system at the Arlington Theatre kicked all manner of @$$ over the one at The Landmark in West LA.

I seriously think that any Vangelis fan will NOT be disappointed with what has been done with the new mix.
Yes, I really live in Los Angeles. Srsly. And yeah, life really does imitate art here. Especially now we've got those video billboards. No spinners yet. But I suppose that's next.
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 9:24 pm

The sound is fucking fantastic. Best I've ever heard in a theater.
[In reference to A Good Year] "So anyway, fuck 'em. It was a good film."
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dmohrUSC

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Post Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:28 am

From my post on Nov. 5:

So much has been talked about re: all the visual enhancements to the movie, but I was also incredibly impressed by A. how many new audio enhancements have been added, and B. their quality. Most of this new audio work was done very thoughtfully and creatively, and I?d say I truly appreciate 95% of the new audio that?s been added to the FC, which I think is a terrifically successful percentage when you?re attempting to tinker (albeit with an extraordinary level of respect) with a certified classic.

On the spinner ride to the police station, there?s lots of spinner-headset audio spoken in Japanese, and on the spinner ride to the Tyrell Corp., there?s lots of spinner-headset audio spoken in German. I don?t know if it was just the theater I saw the movie in (I?ll get into details later), but these new audio enhancements were very prominent, but I personally didn?t feel like they added much to the overall impact of the picture ? who knows, maybe I?ll grow to love them in time, but these new additions didn?t come off as Cityspeak, the ?mishmash of Japanese, Spanish, German, what have you? that we all know and love. It was just transmissions of people speaking in outright individual languages, and for me personally, these voices detracted from the effect of the visuals and other sound FX as well as Vangelis? score; but others might feel differently about it.

Some people have posted here that they?ve preferred the unicorn dream sequence in the DC to the FC. I?ve watched the FC?s unicorn sequence on Yahoo about fifty times, and although the new closeups of Deckard were incredible, I really wondered if I didn?t prefer the version in the DC as well. But seeing the FC in the theatre totally blew away any reservations I had about this sequence, and what almost impressed me more was the sound design rather than the imagery. The soundtrack has completely been retooled, so now you hear the sounds of the unicorn?s galloping and breathing fade in to the soundtrack very subtly at first, but then heavier later (listening to this clip on Yahoo doesn?t even begin to do this sequence justice; if you don?t get a chance to see the FC in the theater, you *must* hold out for checking out this sequence in a home viewing with a decent sound system before passing judgement). The audio is dreamy, but the hard cuts to and from Deckard?s face and the unicorn only intensify the freakishly surreal ?un-reality? of the moment, and it?s now much more unnervingly (and successfully) ?what-the-f***-is-going-on??? of a moment.

When Deckard is chasing Zhora through the streets and comes across the Hare Krishnas, new tribal drumming sound FX have been added to the soundtrack. Works great. Also, the audio of Deckard?s car pulling up to the Bradbury has been enhanced. In other places, the audio seems to have been minimized, like when Deckard is making his way up the steps of the Bradbury to Sebastian?s apartment ? you don?t hear his footsteps as prominently as you once did, maybe to better convey Deckard?s skill for stealth (i.e. ?Blade Runner magic?).

I don?t think there was a single firing of Deckard?s gun in the entire movie that hasn?t had the audio FX augmented in some way. And it?s all for the better. The most noticeably changed was when Deckard fires at Roy at the end when Roy steps from behind the wall into the hallway ? there was a brief ?trigger-sqeeze? effect put in place.

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